


If All Good Things Ever Come and Go

by beaglefanclub



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Tampa Bay Lightning, like natural-selection oblivious, pally is philosophical sometimes and really just lives for drama, the ice cream shop au that no one asked for or wanted, tyler and nikita are incredibly oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 05:39:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14784540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beaglefanclub/pseuds/beaglefanclub
Summary: tyler's summer is starting to stretch out in front of him—an endless spell of making milkshakes and slushies and talking with pally about which flavor of ice cream would be best for fucking— and then kuch comes to town.





	If All Good Things Ever Come and Go

**Author's Note:**

> this takes place the summer after their first year out of high school, and they're all around 19
> 
> if you google "blue boy ice cream", the trip advisor/yelp site for the ice cream shop's inspiration should pop up
> 
> title from spirit cold by tall heights
> 
> for ellie, who loves nikita almost as much as tyler does

it's a slow day when pally poses the question. in the first hour of his shift, tyler has mopped the work floor three times already, and swept the customer floor once. pally's cleaned the bathrooms twice. kathy has scrubbed down the shake machine once.

tyler sits on the spinning stool. he stares at one of the vintage posters on the wall. the broken clock next to the door ticks sluggishly.

"dude, you haven't blinked in, like, an hour."

tyler squirms on the seat and spins around to face pally. he raises both eyebrows and blinks.

"you're stone cold." pally pulls a lever on the soft serve machine and grabs a cone.

tyler slides off the stool and shuffles over to where pally is standing. "does todd ever get mad at you for wasting ice cream?"

pally gazes skeptically at tyler as he collects the ice cream in a perfect swirl. he isn't even _looking_ at the cone. tyler pouts a little bit. he wishes he could do that.

still barely paying attention, pally dips the cone in a bucket of nuts. with one hand, he ties a napkin around the cone like a cape. "i'm not wasting it. while you were over there fuckin' dissociating, someone came to the drivethru."

"oh."

to be honest, tyler doesn't really understand why they call the back window a drivethru. there's only enough room for one car at a time; no one else can wait behind it. sometimes people just walk up and order there. tyler hates when they do that; this isn't the fucking dairy queen where customers order through an outdoor window like animals. this is an ice cream shop. there are tables and chairs and a gumball machine and a claw game machine that beeps every few minutes and drives tyler absolutely crazy.

pally hunchs over and hands the cone out the window. tyler settles himself back onto the stool and spins around once, twice, thrice. he's bored, but content.

the back door opens, and their other coworker, kathy, comes in. she coughs a couple times and then shuts and locks the door.

"kathy," tyler greets her. he always feels slightly strange when they work together. kathy is a secretary at the high school tyler and pally graduated from. she practically watched him grow up. now they're coworkers at the same sad-sack summer restaurant, and kathy is always trying to mother him and pally. while smoking a lot of cigarettes.

pally pulls his head back in. "and you know, tyler, even if i was wasting ice cream, todd wouldn't be mad." he notices the presence of his third coworker and politely says, "kathy."

"ondrej."

"todd wouldn't know," tyler muses. "he's never here."

pally sighs as he walks to theregister and shakes his head as he counts change. he kicks tyler's stool leg on his way back to the drivethru window. "here's your change, have a great day."

tyler fiddles with the straps on his apron. it's a garish blue, in homage to the ice cream shop's name: blue boy. this is only his second year working here, but he still isn't too fond of wearing the thing. thank god todd doesn't force them to wear the matching hat.

pally returns to his usual place by the soft serve machine. he, tyler, and kathy all have their spots where they stand when the shop is dead, just like they all have their specific chores. tyler sits on the stool next to the glass freezer and mops and sweeps the floors. pally leans against the counter by the soft serve and cleans the bathrooms. kathy stands by the pretzel warmer and scrubs the ice cream machines.

tyler takes a fresh cherry out of the jar. "pally. entertain me," he says, and chucks it at pally's back.

"cone creation?" pally offers.

tyler thinks for a bit. "not today."

pally scoffs. kathy laughs, and then coughs.

tyler grabs another cherry and throws it.

pally catches it in his mouth. tyler flinches—cherries are _disgusting_.

"okay, how about this." pally opens his mouth for another cherry, and tyler tosses him one. "if you had to fuck any one of our ice cream flavors—yeah, even the weird ones—which one would it be?"

kathy gives him a stern look.

tyler rocks back and forth on the stool. it creaks loudly. "what kind of bullshit question is that?"

"i'm serious."

"i'm going for a smoke break," kathy says. she's unamused.

"what ice cream would _you_ fuck?" tyler fires back at pally. he's curious, honestly.

" _not_ rocky road. all those nuts? no thanks."

tyler opens his mouth to respond, but the bell above the door rings. three little kids bounce in, followed by a mother holding a baby carrier.

pally, who doesn't really like kids, backs away from the counter. he snatches a spray bottle and a rag and disappears from sight.

tyler grabs the ice cream scooper. cheerfully, he takes the kids' orders and makes them one by one. he's not as good as pally at tying the napkins like capes, but he tries his best, and pally has been working here since he turned fourteen.

tyler likes working at blue boy; he really does. as he's working his way towards paramedic certification, he needs a summer job. plus, he's too poor to get a gym membership, so he does his time scooping ice cream. it isn't half bad; pally's stopped challenging him to arm wrestles when business gets slow.

pally doesn't appear again until the kids and their mother are gone. he pokes his head out from behind the staff microwave.

tyler, who's back to sitting on his stool, chuckles. "you better be using protection, buddy."

pally scowls.

it's quiet for a little while longer. mondays, for whatever reason, are like this. it's close to three o'clock now, and there's still six and a half hours to closing.

kathy comes back in from her second smoke break. "ondrej, tyler."

"kathy." they reply simultaneously.

at three ten, someone comes through the drivethru. and then it's dead again. an ice cream shop in _tampa freaking florida _has slow business in early june.__

__at three thirty-five, pally says, "okay but really. which flavor?"_ _

__"we've already crossed out rocky road, huh?" tyler glances at the freezer to his left. there are eleven flavors, including rocky road. (superman is tyler's favorite. kathy loves cotton candy. pally likes french vanilla the best, and tyler never lets him forget it.)_ _

__"ten left."_ _

__kathy looks up suspiciously over the rim of her glasses, and then goes back to doing a sudoku puzzle._ _

__"well, we all know you'd want to fuck vanilla," tyler says. "just stick your dick in there and get goin'."_ _

__"we do _not_ know that," pally cuts in. "wouldn't you want to be adventurous? plus, i wouldn't want to eat a flavor of ice cream ever again after i've—"_ _

__"this is _ridiculous_ , pally! who's gonna fuck ice cream?" tyler doesn't want to tell pally that this whole conversation is actually very interesting and he is very much entertained._ _

__"if you _had_ to—"_ _

__"i don't _have_ to—"_ _

__"boo, you're no fun," pally says as the drive thru light blinks on. wordlessly, he, tyler, and kathy all throw a number on their foreheads. kathy holds up a number between tyler's and pally's, sighs, and lumbers to the window. she takes one look at the customer and says, "boys."_ _

__tyler scoots off the stool. he peers behind kathy and sees that it's a teenage boy; probably seventeen or eighteen. tyler squints a little bit, and then stifles a laugh. he opens the window. "got the munchies?"_ _

__"yeah, man. a _raging_ case." the guy shakes his hair out of his eyes._ _

__tyler reaches for the list pinned on the wall adjacent to the window. he hands it to the guy and tells him to knock on the window when he makes a decision._ _

__pally perks up. "he's using the marijuana menu?"_ _

__"he sure is. i wish it had a different name, though."_ _

__"yeah, but you got a better one?"_ _

__he doesn't. he and pally spent weeks drafting that list last year, picking from the original menu the desserts they figured would best satisfy the munchies on all levels. originally, they hid it from todd, but pally had been forced to use it during one of the rare occasions when their boss actually showed up to work. todd loved it—"a whole new audience. stellar job, ondrej"—and encouraged them to laminate it._ _

__the customer knocks on the glass. he points to a banana milkshake. tyler makes it quickly. he patiently waits for the stoned guy to count out $3.25, and then slides the shake out the window._ _

__pally watches him, ready to pounce the second tyler's done dealing with the customer._ _

__tyler ignores his gaze and fights back a smile as he puts the coins and dollar bills one by one into the register. he doesn't enjoy making people mad, except when it's pally._ _

__pally pins the marijuana menu back on the wall. "so. the ice cream. no rocky road, and no vanilla. what's left?"_ _

__tyler recites the remaning flavors from memory. "mint chocolate chip, superman, cotton candy, butter pecan, mint leaf neopolitan, pisatchio mocha, turtle caramel fountain, strawberry lavender sherbet, and chocolate. can we let this go?"_ _

__pally laughs as he washes his hands in the sink near the freezer. "not a chance, ty. not a chance."_ _

__—————_ _

__pally brings the question up the next day as they're opening up the shop at quarter to ten._ _

__"so about yesterday—"_ _

__tyler sweeps the floor harder. "pally—"_ _

__"it's a genuinely thought-provoking question!" pally exclaims from the bathroom. he's out of sight; the open door blocks tyler's view of much of the shop since he's currently sweeping the customer floor._ _

__"i don't want my thoughts about having intercourse with ice cream provoked!"_ _

__pally peeks around the door. "so...you're admitting to having them."_ _

__tyler blinks. "what?" he moves a chair from the kiddie table to get a better angle for his broom._ _

__"you're admitting to having thoughts about having intercourse with ice cream. don't fight it, dude."_ _

__tyler opens his mouth to respond snippily, but instead starts laughing. he laughs until he's red in the face and his broom is on the floor because he's clutching his stomach._ _

__pally's laughing too, but not as hard. "dude. what's up?"_ _

__tyler heaves himself up. "i stopped fighting it. it's pretty funny when you think harder about it."_ _

__"oh...kay?"_ _

__there's a rush around 11:30; the beginning of the typical lunchtime. pally and tyler handle it themselves while waiting for their third coworker's shift to start._ _

__at one, she arrives. it's not kathy today, but a teenage girl named dana. she's very shy, and she's only ever spoken to tyler and pally twice. at this point, they've pretty much given up trying to speak to her._ _

__it's too weird to bring up the ice cream question, though, so they sit in silence for an hour and a half._ _

__tyler is debating trying to shove a whole frozen choco-banana in his mouth when pally says, "my college roomie is visiting in a few days."_ _

__"which one?"_ _

__"kuch."_ _

__"cool."_ _

__"he doesn't have a car, though, so he's probably gonna hang around here while i'm working," pally says._ _

__tyler snorts. "todd wouldn't let you off work?"_ _

__"nope." pally pops the 'p'._ _

__tyler scoots sideways to give dana room as she goes to the drive thru window to help a customer. "are you gonna ask him what type of ice cream he wants to fuck?"_ _

__"he's lactose intolerant," pally says, laughing._ _

__"just because he can't order doesn't mean he can't look at the menu," tyler points out._ _

__pally shrugs._ _

__"what's he majoring in?" tyler asks. he's genuinely curious; he doesn't know much about what college is like for pally and pally's friends. university of miami is about four and half hours away from the community college in tampa where tyler goes. pally doesn't talk about his collegiate life much, even though tyler is almost always dying for details._ _

__"um...i'll get back to you on that."_ _

__tyler rolls his eyes. the bell above the door rings, and a teenage boy and girl enter. they're holding hands. below the glass of the freezer, tyler initiates a round of rock paper scissors. pally loses, and frowns for a fraction of a second. then, his face smoothes over and he says, "how may i chill you today?"_ _

__tyler presses his fist over his mouth to keep from giggling too loudly. pally side-eyes him as he rings up the couple. tyler slides off the stool and starts scooping a double cone of mint leaf neopolitan and chocolate. pally begins making a blue raspberry royal slushie._ _

__as he scoops, tyler turns the question over in his head again. really, which ice cream would he fuck?_ _

__too soon, he's completed the cone. carefully, he ties a napkin around it, and this one looks vaguely cape-like. he hands it to the boyfriend as pally sets the slushie down on top of the freezer. the girlfriend picks it up and smiles at the tyler and pally before dragging her boyfriend out of the store._ _

__pally returns to his spot by the soft serve. "kuch is undecided, by the way."_ _

__tyler "hmmmm"'s absentmindedly._ _

__"he likes history a lot, though," pally went on. "i think he wants to teach it."_ _

__tyler spins around on the stool a couple times. great, another dude who was way too obssessed with world war two._ _

__pally smiles. "he likes to tease me about being a business major. he says i'll never make it."_ _

__"he's wrong. you're going to be a great business owner," tyler says a bit defensively. he jumps a bit as the back door slams shut; dana must have gone outside._ _

__"i could buy this place off todd," pally jokes. "turn it into a cool retro kinda thing."_ _

__tyler glances around at the posters covering the walls; all of them are faded with time and sunlight exposure. "sure thing."_ _

__—————_ _

__there's a little piece of paper pinned on the wall next to the soft serve machine when tyler gets to work the next day. he had a shorter shift than pally yesterday, so it must have been put up after he left. the paper is divided into a t-chart, with the columns being labeled T and O. in each column is a full list of the ice cream flavors. rocky road and "f. vanilla" are crossed off on both sides of the chart._ _

__tyler laughs and grabs the notepad pally took the paper from; it's blue boy stationary, with a smiling ice cream cone adorning all four corners. he divides it into two halves and writes "pros" on one half and "cons" on the other. then he pins it behind the chart pally made._ _

__over the next three days, they make adjustments to both charts. they decide that turtle caramel fountain would have the same issue as rocky road, and cross it off. pally crosses butter pecan off his side of the t-chart with such vigor that he rips the paper. tyler keeps butter pecan on his list just to see pally's reaction._ _

__the pros and cons list gets a facelift as well; the cons list is far longer than the pros. some arrows are drawn between columns, indicating that "minty fresh afterfeeling" should be counted as a con for mint leaf neopolitan, and "picasso-painted dick" should be a pro for superman._ _

__on the fourth day, when tyler arrives at the store to open, pally is already inside. tyler pushes open the door, apprehensively looking over the guy sitting inside who must be kuch._ _

__tyler waves to him curtly. kuch, looking a bit bored but nervous, returns the wave. tyler hurries to put his things in the back, and then grabs a broom. on his way past the bathroom, he slaps the door. pally is bent over and scrubbing the floor. he jumps at the sound, and narrowly avoids hitting his head on the sink._ _

__"good morning," tyler says cheerily. "i met your friend." he picks up his broom and marches past the bathroom again._ _

__pally gets up and sticks his head out the door. "kuch, this is tyler, my best friend from home. tyler, this is kuch, my college roomie. shake hands."_ _

__kuch smiles—it makes tyler slightly uneasy; this guy looks like he crawled out of a mausoleum, but not in way that tyler really minds—and sticks out his hand. tyler squares his shoulders and shakes his hand enthusiastically, and then less so when he remember that this guy told pally he'd never make it in the...well, the business business._ _

__"nice to meet you, tyler," kuch says. his voice matches the way he looks, but tyler doesn't feel uneasy anymore. he remembers that pally said kuch is into history, and tyler thinks he could listen to kuch talk about world war two forever._ _

__"likewise." tyler then focuses on sweeping. all the chairs are still up on the tables, aside from the one kuch is sitting on. he sweeps in the usual pattern. when he gets to the chair kuch is sitting in, he nervously gestures. kuch blinks at him. tyler holds up his broom, tries to nicely ask kuch to move, and instead says, "sweep."_ _

__kuch stares at the broom, and then at tyler. "sorry?"_ _

__"i, uh, i need to sweep where you're sitting," tyler manages to say. he wants to pat himself on the back for saying all of that without messing up. he can't really understand why he's so flustered by this guy who looks looks like he hasn't slept in years, but he just wants to finish sweeping the customer floor._ _

__kuch gets up and grabs his chair. tyler quickly bats the broom at the already mostly clean floor—the floors are swept before closing every night—and then steps back. "okay. you're good."_ _

__pally comes out of the bathroom then. he puts his spray bottle under the counter and rag in the gray tote hanging next to the door. "kuch, you're welcome to sit back here with us until..." he trails off, thinking for a bit. it's saturday, so their other coworker will be here in at half past ten, which is in a few minutes._ _

__"that's alright, thank you," kuch says politely. he settles into the chair._ _

__tyler makes quick work of sweeping the work area, and then goes to sit on his stool. pally leans against the counter by the soft serve machine._ _

__tyler picks at his cuticles as a way to ignore pally, who is staring pointedly at him. probably an attempt to get him to socialize with the roommate._ _

__kuch picks up on pally's telepathic pleading and steps up. "tyler, what are you majoring in?"_ _

__"oh, i don't—i don't go to university," tyler says quickly. "i go to the community college—i'm getting my paramedic certification."_ _

__"you like science, then?" kuch asks._ _

__tyler, for a reason he can't come up with, blushes. "yeah. human anatomy and physiology was my favorite class."_ _

__pally keeps looking back and forth between the two of them with a goofy smile on his face._ _

__"what did you do in that class?" kuch supplies. tyler wonders if it's an effort to appease pally, or a real attempt at a conversation._ _

__before he can answer, the back door opens. kathy enters, coughing._ _

__"kathy," tyler and pally say in perfect sync._ _

__"tyler, ondrej." she glances once at kuch, and tyler hides a smile at the possibility of learning kuch's actual name—kathy doesn't like nicknames._ _

__pally straightens up. "kathy, this is my college roommate. kuch, this is my coworker and resident mom kathy."_ _

__kathy throws a withering look toward pally, who grins. she then turns towards kuch, eyeing him skeptically. "kuch?"_ _

__"nikita," he says, in a voice so smooth and quiet that tyler has to make sure he heard him correctly._ _

__kathy takes the hand kuch has offered and shakes it. "nikita."_ _

__"kathy," he says wryly, as if he's already caught on to how she is spoken to._ _

__kathy drops his hand and shuffles over to the pretzel machine._ _

__tyler sits very still, and turns over kuch's name in his mind. he's never met a nikita before, so he isn't actually sure if kuch looks like one. he likes the name, though. he mumbles it to himself a couple times, but stops when he catches pally staring._ _

__business slows after the lunch rush. kathy takes smoke breaks every hour, on the hour, and sometimes inbetween. pally spends forever making a perfect half vanilla and half chocolate soft serve swirl. tyler tries not to stare too much at kuch, who sits at the table and occasionally eats french fries._ _

__pally's shift is shorter than tyler's today—it appears that instead of giving pally time off, todd handed him less hours—so it gets even more boring when he leaves and takes kuch with him. kathy works on her sudoku puzzles and dana, who arrived just after pally left, doesn't talk. therefore, tyler resorts to his phone._ _

__he plays a couple rounds of fruit ninja, trying to get enough coins to unlock the next blade. he almost has the right amount when pally texts him:_ _

___kuch wants your snap_ _ _

__tyler replies instantly, sending his username and a screenshot of his snapcode._ _

__and no, he doesn't think it's overkill, which is what pally responds with._ _

__it's not like tyler expects kuch to add him immediately, but it kind of sucks when he checks his phone at four, when his shift is over, and the only snapchat notification is from his mom._ _

__—————_ _

__kuch adds him either late that night or early the next morning, because the notification is the first thing tyler sees when he wakes up. quickly, he adds him back. he debates sending something, but decides not to. if kuch wants to be friends, he'll pursue it, tyler thinks as he brushes his teeth. but then again, maybe the ball is in tyler's court since kuch asked for his snapchat._ _

__tyler has the day off, but knows he'll probably end up going to blue boy to help close anyway, no matter how hard he tries to find other things to do._ _

__he fucks around his house all day before getting there around nine in the evening; half an hour before they flip the sign to 'closed'. dana is there, as is pally. seated on the table closest to the freezer is kuch._ _

__cautiously, tyler pulls out one of the chairs at the table kuch is sitting on. he follows kuch's gaze to see pally, who is busy making what tyler immediately recognizes as a cone creation. first, it's a waffle cone. second, pally is using the soft serve machine to create a vanilla spiral on top of a scoop of strawberry lavender sherbet. he grabs the container of coconut shaves and sprinkles a light layer on top. "tada," pally says, clearly pleased with himself._ _

__kuch claps politely. "it looks wonderful, ondrej."_ _

__tyler blinks in surprise; he's not used to pally's friends using his real name. especially when pally refers to said friends with nicknames._ _

__pally takes a bow, and then notices tyler. "oh, good. now i don't have to throw this away._ _

__"you just _assume_ i'll eat it?" tyler huffs, but the effect of his sarcasm is diminished as he holds out his hand to accept it. "okay fine, this looks good."_ _

__pally inclines his head in another, more modest bow._ _

__kuch turns to look at tyler. his eyes are light blue, a frigid sort of color. tyler forces himself to look away, and then blushes when he realizes his tongue was out to lick the cone—which was a good five or six inches away from his mouth._ _

__"do you like it?" kuch asks. he seems genuinely curious._ _

__tyler licks the cone a couple times, trying not to feel self-conscious. it isn't the _best_ cone creation he's ever had, but it certainly isn't the worst. tyler tries not to think about some of the more strange combinations he's eaten—he isn't too proud of some of them. kuch is still looking at him seriously, so he answers with "sort of. it's definitely not bad."_ _

__"nice job, kuch," pally says from the sink, where he's washing his hands. "you're a culinary genius. a connoisseur of dairy treats."_ _

__"i've never had ice cream in my life," kuch says, straight-faced and monotone. "that is very kind of you to say."_ _

__tyler glances at the ice cream cone he was eating, and his eyes unfocus slightly. kuch suggested this? without ever having eaten ice cream? it really _isn't_ that bad, considering the circumstances. pally eats ice cream everyday and some of the things he's come up with are abominations of nature._ _

__tyler finishes the cone in time to help close. he picks up his broom and begins sweeping the floor while dana starts doing dishes and pally heads for the bathroom with a rag._ _

__kuch stares. tyler tries not to feel his gaze, and is mostly able to ignore it. he's about to put the chairs up on the table when a hand darts out and grabs one for him. kuch flips the chair up, and then silently does the rest of the table._ _

__"thank you," tyler says. he sweeps around the table in his usual pattern while kuch puts the all the other chairs up. it makes tyler's job go much faster, and he holds back a laugh at imagining kuch picking up a specific chore the way those who work here do. then he imagines kuch in a bright blue apron, and that's just as funny._ _

__once the shop is closed, pally invites tyler to hang out with him and kuch. "killer is having a bonfire, and he told me to invite you."_ _

__tyler held back a pout. "why didn't he tell me himself?"_ _

__pally shrugs. he grabs his keys and jerks his head toward the door. they all file out one by one and march to pally's car. tyler dives into the backseat and makes himself comfortable immediately. there's a quiet chuckle—kuch—and a snort—pally._ _

__they're not the first ones to make it to killer's; there's a small group of people gathered around the fire ring, and a few more standing in various clusters across the yard._ _

__"boys!" killer says. he ambles over to tyler and pally and kuch. his steps are a little wobbly._ _

__"killer, how's it goin'?" pally asks, leaning in for a hug._ _

__"fuck college, man," killer grumbles. "so much fuckin' _work_."_ _

__"harvard would be like that," pally says conversationally. he side eyes kuch in an observational matter. kuch looks cool and collected._ _

__killer turns to tyler. "johnny, what's up, man?"_ _

__tyler fist bumps him. "nothing much."_ _

__"chill. how's paramedic training?"_ _

__"fun. intense." tyler shrugs._ _

__"sweet. can i get you guys anything?" killer holds up a beer bottle._ _

__"one of those, please," pally says._ _

__killer shoots finger guns at him and winks. "you got it, o-p."_ _

__pally shuffles off to the big rocking swing around the fire pit while tyler drifts off to talk to some more old high school buddies. they all have pretty much the same stories to share about college: they drank a lot, got lost on campus, and fucked a lot of people._ _

__after hearing a fourth story about running from the cops after a party got busted, tyler politely excuses himself. he grabs two beers and then wanders over to the swing, where kuch is sitting all alone. he offers the beer silently. kuch takes it._ _

__"so," tyler says, sitting down. he hesitates for a second; he hasn't thought of what to say after that. "...are you having fun?"_ _

__"of course." kuch takes a small sip of the beer. "you and pally have nice friends."_ _

__tyler feels more comfortable hearing kuch call pally by his nickname. "thanks."_ _

__"are you the only one in community college?" kuch asks._ _

__tyler used to take offense to to that question, but the sting has worn off. plus, he knows kuch isn't trying to be rude. "yeah."_ _

__"it's smart," kuch says. "plus, you get to save lives." he raises his beer. "you."_ _

__cautiously, tyler clinks his against kuch's. "that's the plan."_ _

__pally, standing across the fire, crows happily. he pours lighter fluid into an empty can of beer, held by killer. together they throw the can into the flames._ _

__"is he a lightweight?" tyler asks. he knows that they both used to be from their high school drinking escapades, but college changes people._ _

__"not really. i've seen him..." kuch trails off, and then shudders. "no. he is definitely not a lightweight."_ _

__tyler laughs. "you look traumatized."_ _

__"i am," kuch says gravely. he takes a long drink of his beer for dramatic effect._ _

__it's comfortably quiet for a minute. the fire has settled down after the big pop of the lighter fluid can. pally is sitting across from kuch and tyler. he and killer are crashed in camping chairs with their heads thrown back, looking at the stars._ _

__"so, what are you into?" tyler asks. then, he quickly adds, "like in school. subjects and classes and all that. grades." he tries to take a sip of his beer, but it goes down the wrong pipe and he coughs. "pally said you like history?"_ _

__"i'd like to teach, i think. russian history, specifically."_ _

__tyler blinks. so _not_ an insufferable world war two buff. "can you speak russian?" as soon as the words leave his mouth, he realizes it's a stupid question, but kuch doesn't seem to mind._ _

__"yes, i can."_ _

__"are you...fluent?"_ _

__"yes, i am."_ _

__"wow. that's...that's cool."_ _

__kuch doesn't respond. he swirls the remaining contents of his beer around the bottle, and tyler gets the feeling that he doesn't like to talk about himself._ _

__"but enough about you," tyler quips._ _

__kuch chuckles. "enough about me," he agrees. he turns to face tyler and looks at him intently._ _

__tyler goes to take another sip of beer, but his bottle is empty. he looks towards the cooler, which is being sat on by one of killer's other friends, with the intention of getting another bottle. before tyler can get up, killer swings by out of no where and pushes a bottle into his hand. it's the exact type he'd been drinking before._ _

__tyler opens it and tosses the cap away. before he can think any harder, he takes a swig and says, "you asked me about human anatomy and physiology."_ _

__"yes. why was that class your favorite?"_ _

__"uh, i loved the curriculum. the way we learned the body system by system until we'd pieced it all together." tyler thinks kuch might be looking at him strangely, so he follows that up with, "and we got to dissect, um, cats. snip snip, you know."_ _

__now kuch is _definitely_ looking at him strangely._ _

__"it's the class that made me want to be a paramedic," tyler blurts._ _

__kuch leans forward in interest. his eyes are so intensely focused on tyler that tyler breaks after a few seconds and looks away._ _

__"why?" kuch asks._ _

__tyler has to catch his breath before he can answer, and he doesn't understand why. it's just nikita— _kuch_. "it's kind of dumb."_ _

__"i doubt it's as bad as you think it is, tyler."_ _

__"ah, when we were dissecting the cats—it's the last lab we do; they're usually sick cats unfortunately—i wanted to fix the cat. its spleen was too large for it to be a healthy cat, and we found a—i've got to be boring you, kuch, i'm sorry."_ _

__"it's interesting," kuch says quickly. "i'm really interested in—in it."_ _

__"if you say so," tyler concedes._ _

__they finish their beers and listen to killer wail through a couple of karaoke songs—really, he shouldn't be allowed near the bonfire as his breath is as good as lighter fluid right now._ _

__once his bottle is empty, tyler stands up. "i should probably get going. places to go, people to see...hearts to break."_ _

__"pally drove us here," kuch reminds him._ _

__"hmm. he did." tyler looks over to where pally is still sitting in his camping chair, apparently asleep. or comatose. "ugh, i'll drive."_ _

__kuch stands up and collects his beer bottles. tyler tiptoes over to pally and pokes him with the mouth of a dry bottle._ _

__pally jerks awake. "guys?"_ _

__"we're leaving, pally," kuch says. "remember, you have to open tomorrow with tyler."_ _

__tyler blinks; he'd forgotten about that._ _

__"how much did you drink?" kuch prompts._ _

__"maybe three or four beers," pally says, rubbing his eyes. "but i haven't eaten since before my shift started."_ _

__"idiot," tyler says affectionately as he and kuch lift pally by his arms and lug him to the car. they struggle with getting pally into the back seat, and then tyler gets into the drivers seat._ _

__they make it back to blue boy without pally rolling off the backseat, which is a small miracle of sorts, and then they part ways._ _

__"see you tomorrow, tyler," kuch says as he switches to the driver's side._ _

__"yeah, see you," tyler says back. he gets into his own car and watches kuch drive away with pally making googoo eyes at tyler from the backseat._ _

__—————_ _

__"i think it's time we introduce kuch to the philosophical question of our generation," pally says a few days later._ _

__"really?" tyler asks. he dips a soft serve cone in the sprinkles container, ties a napkin around it, and then hands the completed cone out the drive through window._ _

__"yessir."_ _

__tyler "mmm"s noncommittally and glances at the pieces of paper pinned on the wall. they haven't been touched since kuch came to town._ _

__"he's not going to think you're weird," pally says, and dammit, he read tyler's mind._ _

__"how do you _do_ that?"_ _

__"please. your face is like a book."_ _

__tyler pats his cheeks nervously. "is not."_ _

__"is too."_ _

__"is n—kuch!"_ _

__kuch, who has just left the bathroom, stares in confusion._ _

__"pally had a question," tyler says quickly._ _

__"traitor," pally mutters._ _

__tyler grins smugly from his stool._ _

__"pally?" kuch prompts. he's taken up standing in dana's spot—under the menu board and next to the hot dog cooker—when it's just tyler and pally working, which is what this wednesday night is._ _

__"there is a great question—shush, johnny—that i've been ruminating on for weeks. now, you're lactose intolerant, but your opinion is still valid." pally removes the list of choices and the pros and cons chart from the wall. he hands them to kuch, who still looks confused._ _

__tyler spins around on his stool and hopes he doesn't fall off in his attempt to avoid seeing kuch's reaction._ _

__"so, which kind of ice cream would you fuck if you had the chance?" pally asks._ _

__"you've spent weeks ruminating on this?" kuch says, and there's a slight hint of incredulity to his tone._ _

__"pally's idea," tyler pipes up. he's still spinning, but starting to get dizzy._ _

__"this is interesting."_ _

__pally drops his ice cream scooper and tyler stops spinning. they reply in unison: " _what?!_ "_ _

__kuch holds a piece of paper—incriminating evidence of the time they've dedicated to this matter—in each hand. "i do have a few opinions."_ _

__"do tell," pally snorts._ _

__"well, for starters, a lemony scent afterwards should be a pro for the sherbet; it's like air freshener for your—"_ _

__tyler falls off the stool._ _

__"pally, you seem to have crossed off vanilla prematurely; i know how much you love that flavor," kuch notes, almost chastising him._ _

__"that's what tyler said," pally says grumpily. "but i'd never be able to eat it again afterwards! don't you people think ahead ever?"_ _

__"no," tyler says back. he's gotten up off the floor and has grabbed his broom; it's closing time._ _

__"i'm just _saying_ ," pally snips, picking up his spray bottle and rag. "foresight is twenty-twenty."_ _

__"that's hindsight," kuch points out. he follows tyler out into the customer area to flip the chairs up onto the tables._ _

__they close in record time. soon, the only light in blue boy is coming from the claw game machine and the broken neon red coke sign that never turns off._ _

__"you working tomorrow?" pally asks tyler as they hang up their aprons._ _

__"yeah, but it's a shortie. six to close."_ _

__"ah." pally takes great care make sure his apron doesn't tangle with anyone else's. "you wanna hang out here for a bit?"_ _

__tyler smiles. "i can't believe you think you have to ask."_ _

__pally smiles back and punches tyler's shoulder. "hey, kuch," he calls, "are you okay staying here for a while longer?"_ _

__kuch, who is leaning against the counter and playing on his phone, looks up. "sure."_ _

__"sweet. ty and i used to do this all the time last summer," pally says cheerfully. he plops down on the floor and props himself up against the ice cream freezer._ _

__kuch hops the counter and sits down with his back against the wall. tyler hesitates, and then decides to sit by him._ _

__"what are we doing?" kuch asks politely._ _

__"just sittin'," tyler says, and yawns._ _

__"oh."_ _

__"we sit, we chill," pally says with a flap of his hand. "if you want to leave, let me know, okay kuch?"_ _

__"sure, sure."_ _

__"you too, johnny."_ _

__tyler leans his head against the wall and lets his eyes fall closed. pally and kuch are talking quietly, and the claw machine is humming in the background. it's an eerie sort of calm, and tyler wonders how long they're going to stay here. he and pally have spent nights in blue boy before, but only ever when they both closed and opened the next day. they would bring sleeping bags and marshmallows to roast in the microwave..._ _

__tyler wakes up when pally starts snoring. he flinches and rubs his neck; there's a crick in it. he frowns and stretches._ _

__pally is flopped on his side and drooling a small lake onto the tile. tyler is still slumped against the wall, and kuch is still next to him._ _

__tyler shifts uncomfortably, trying to feel his legs, which are about as awake as pally. he moves carefully—kuch's head is in his lap._ _

__the clock on the wall appears to read quarter past twelve. they have to get home, tyler decides._ _

__"kuch," tyler whispers. " _kuch_."_ _

__kuch stirs._ _

__"nikita," tyler tries again. he pokes kuch's cheek, and kuch sits up._ _

__"ow." he is almost indignant._ _

__"sorry," tyler mumbles, and blushes._ _

__kuch stretches, rubs his eyes, and focuses back on tyler. "you're pretty ripped, you know. ouch."_ _

__"i scoop ice cream for five hours a day," tyler says, fighting to keep the smile off his face._ _

__kuch doesn't say anything, but just sits side by side with tyler, and tyler feels like he just might explode._ _

__"kuch...how long are you staying?"_ _

__"i leave in ten days."_ _

__tyler frowns._ _

__kuch furrows his eyebrows in confusion and scoots closer. "i said something wrong?"_ _

__tyler glances at his hand slightly under kuch's. "no."_ _

__in front of them, pally snorts himself awake. he sits up, quick as lightning, and blinks several times. "what time is it?"_ _

__"it's late," tyler says. "we have to go home. watch out for the atlantic there, poseidon," he adds, and pally barely misses plunking his hand in the puddle of drool._ _

__kuch stands up and offers his hand to tyler. while pally struggles to his feet, kuch pulls tyler up in one fluid movement. it gets tyler thinking about exploding again._ _

__they make their way to their respective cars after locking up the shop for good. pally is, once again, the only one not in a state to drive. his eyes close again as soon as tyler buckles him into the passenger seat._ _

__tyler himself feels like he could run a marathon as he reaches in through the open passenger side window to muss pally's hair. he nods at kuch, who smiles shyly back and holds eye contact long enough to make tyler want to melt._ _

__he tries to figure out ways to make himself  
fall asleep as he walks back to his car. counting sheep is his best bet, he figures, but that all goes out the window when he hears pally sleepily say, "you shoud've kissed him, kuch" as they drive away._ _

__—————_ _

__tyler doesn't work with pally again until friday. he spends all of thursday lost in his own head and replaying pally's words over and over. he almost passes out when he sees pally's beat up car pull into the parking lot of blue boy bright and early friday morning._ _

__but pally is alone. he locks his car and swings his keychain, whistling tunelessly._ _

__"morning, pally," tyler says, hoping his panic isn't showing on his face._ _

__"morning, ty. i sent kuch out for donuts. he'll be here in half an hour. you still like long johns right?"_ _

__"yeah. tell him thanks, would you?"_ _

__"tell him yourself," pally fires back lightly as he grabs his spray bottle and opens the bathroom door._ _

__they work in silence. tyler focuses hard on sweeping in his morning pattern: through the chairs, around the table, and back. pally sings as he cleans the bathroom, a sia medley or something._ _

__tyler is almost done sweeping when pally gives him the scare of a life time._ _

__"i want to talk to you about kuch."_ _

__tyler drops his broom; he didn't know pally was already done with his chore and standing right behind him. "what?"_ _

__"he's leaving in a week."_ _

__"yes," tyler says and deflates a little bit. he hops the counter and starts shuffling towards his stool._ _

__"i think you guys are really hitting it off," pally goes on, and there's something strange in his voice. he hops the counter too and leans against the counter by the softserve machine._ _

__tyler hesitates. pally's poker face is too good. "um, yeah. he's really cool."_ _

__"tell him that."_ _

__"that he's really cool?" tyler wants to think he's playing dumb convincingly, but he is a bit lost, honestly. what good would it do to tell kuch that he gives tyler butterflies but also kind of makes him want to jump off a cliff out of embarrassment?_ _

__"just do it, tyler," pally says, and he's earnest now._ _

__"pally, i never know what to say," tyler admits. "i, like, forget _english_ around him!"_ _

__"just tell him—"_ _

__the door opens, and it's kuch. tyler and pally spin towards the door. tyler figures he looks like a deer in headlights, but kuch is focused on balancing the box of donuts and three bottles of fiji water._ _

__tyler plants himself on his stool and side eyes pally._ _

__below the line of the freezer—out of sight of kuch—pally makes a placating gesture with his hands._ _

__kuch sets the donuts and water down on the table closest to the freezer. he opens the box and hands tyler a long john donut in a napkin and a bottle of water._ _

__"what's with the fiji?" tyler asks. "not that i'm complaining."_ _

__"you hate the water here," kuch says nonchalantly. "both of you," he adds quickly._ _

__tyler is startled into silence. he must have mentioned it to kuch in passing._ _

__"thank you." pally beams at kuch._ _

__tyler eats his donut with a strong sense of happiness. he knows pally is looking at him funny, but he doesn't care._ _

__they finish their donuts and then start up the flavor-fucking conversation again. tyler adds a little column for kuch on the paper where they make their choices; there's just enough room for him to squeeze in all the flavors by writing their initials._ _

__kuch patiently listens to all their bickering about flavors before smoothly contributing his own opinions. they argue their points and make changes to their lists and add pros and cons until 11:15, when the third shift member arrives._ _

__"kathy," kuch, tyler, and pally say in unison._ _

__"tyler. ondrej. nikita."_ _

__then they go back go the question. tyler has narrowed his options down to superman, butter pecan, and chocolate. pally clings onto strawberry lavender sherbet and cotton candy. kuch, somehow, has shrunk his remaining options down to pistachio mocha and superman._ _

__the lunch rush comes, and kuch stays glued to the chair closest to the freezer. tyler slides him french fries and tiny cups of diet pepsi every so often._ _

__at two, business gets slow again, and kathy goes for a smoke break. pally stands up and follows her to the back door. curiously, tyler follows pally, and he hears kuch shuffle along the counter._ _

__"kathy, i would...like to accompany you. please."_ _

__she blinks at him._ _

__"i might start smoking myself, you see," pally forges ahead, and tyler realizes he was improvising to get out. it isn't hard to figure out why._ _

__"my advice to you is don't, ondrej," kathy says._ _

__"can i just watch?"_ _

__kathy sighs. she stares heavily at pally, and then looks back at tyler, as if she suspects he is in on this. "i suppose."_ _

__pally fist pumps, and then opens the door. as he waits for kathy to go outside, he starts whistling what tyler thinks might be "i was made for lovin' you" by kiss. that or it's "party in the usa."_ _

__and then it's just tyler and kuch, separated by the wide blue counter._ _

__tyler drums his fingers against his thighs awkwardly. he glances back at the pieces of paper on the counter and realizes he's doodled all around kuch's name. he blushes furiously when kuch looks at the lists too._ _

__"you overheard ondrej on wednesday."_ _

__tyler gulps. kuch didn't phrase it like a question. "yeah."_ _

__the drive thru bell rings, and tyler has no choice but to answer it. his cheeks feel like they're on fire as he writes down the order much more carefully than he normally would. it's kind of a big order, and tyler can't tell if he's grateful for the lengthy distraction or annoyed that his coworkers aren't there to help make everything._ _

__one strawberry banana smoothie, chocolate-butter pecan double-scoop waffle bowl, large pepsi, and peanut-brittle-dipped vanilla soft serve cake cone later, tyler drifts over to the cash register. kuch hasn't moved. tyler places the payment into the appropriate cubicles bill by bill and coin by coin. he struggles to find a way to tell kuch how he feels around him, and that he thinks pally is right; kuch _should_ have kissed him wednesday night and—_ _

__he's overthinking it. he should start simple. tyler takes a deep breath and says, "nikita" just as kuch says "tyler" and pally throws open the back door with an emphatic "wow!"_ _

__tyler jumps and slams the till shut. kuch barely flinches._ _

__"wow," pally repeats. "that was _educational_." he enunciates each syllable, and then appears to read the room. "oh."_ _

__kuch shakes his head and manages a laugh._ _

__pally frowns and shuts the back door. "so neither of you guys figured it out?"_ _

__that confuses tyler, and it appears to faze kuch as well. "what?" tyler asks._ _

__"oh come on," pally says with a roll of his eyes. someone, probably kathy, knocks on the back door. pally smacks his hand on it a few times in response. "you guys are _so_ oblivious!"_ _

__"what?" tyler asks again, but with more feeling. pally obviously knew about the feelings kuch gives tyler, but...? tyler can't even form the thought._ _

__"oh my god," pally says, as if _he's_ the one being inconvenienced. the door shudders, and he sags against it. "tyler, kuch thinks you're amazing but he's too shy to say it. but, like, he wants to kiss you, so there's that."_ _

__tyler know his mouth is hanging open. he can't close it._ _

__pally opens the door and pokes his head out. "we're having a moment here, kathy. one more minute and that's all; i promise." he shuts the door._ _

__tyler closes his mouth and turns to kuch, who is very pointedly looking at the floor and not at tyler._ _

__"and kuch," pally starts. kuch's head jerks up. "you give tyler butterflies. like, really badly. he doesn't know how to tell you."_ _

__now it's tyler's turn to stare at his shoes. he hears pally mutter "neither one of you can communicate" and then the opening of the back door._ _

__tyler makes himself look up at kuch, and any self-consciousness disappears when he sees his smile. "i'm done at three thirty," tyler says shyly. "wanna, um, hang out?"_ _

__kuch smiles even wider, and says, "i'd like that", which tyler can barely hear over the sounds of pally apologizing profusely to kathy._ _

__"cool," tyler responds, and he feels about a million times lighter._ _

__kathy stomps back into view then._ _

__they greet her. "kathy."_ _

__"nikita. tyler."_ _

__pally follows behind her, his face red with embarrassment. he looks hopefully between kuch and tyler._ _

__tyler just grins and makes his way back to his stool and sits down. kuch settles into the chair closest to the freezer again. they sneak looks at each other every so often, and tyler's positive that three thirty can't come quickly enough._ _


End file.
